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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · bass · bore · sharp · club · face · cabinet · bulb

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bass — low music
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bore — to drill
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. club — for golf
  14. craft — a skill
  15. club — for dancing
  16. sharp — clever
  17. craft — boats
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. face — part of the head
  20. club — a group
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. face — to confront
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com